“Victory of Spiritualism over Materialism”

Dr. Kapoor; October 15, 1972, Vrndavana:…here at Radha-Damodara. After his long tour of the world in which he got passed the message of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the different karmas, to the different nationalities of the world. This return back to homeland of Srila Prabhupada, is particularly significant, because this time he comes back with a host of his western disciples. This signifies to me the meeting of the East and the West, or at least the beginning of such a meeting. This signifies the victory of spiritualism over materialism, of good over evil.

This is really a rare moment in history, for for the first time in the history of the world, for the first time at least living memory, Vaisnavism, the message of Vaisnavism, the message of Mahaprabhu, the message of devotion and of pure devotion has been carried to the west and carried so successfully. I am sure that historians of the future will have a lot to say about Prabhupada and his movement, and they will be even envious of us for living in a time when this movement was begun and for participating in it. I have a secret realization that at this moment, while we are welcoming Prabhupada, Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja, whose samadhis signify their eternal presence in the sacred precincts of this temple, are also joining us in welcoming Prabhupada, and they are showering their choicest blessings upon him. I can hear them saying, “Long live Prabhupada, long live Prabhupada.” I am sure as a result of their presence, Prabhupada will live long for many, many more years, to broadcast the message of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all the world over and inspire us to inspire us with a special zeal in our hearts. And I am sure as a result of their blessings he will rise always, from glory(?). I have also a secret realization that Sri Rupa Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami are not only showering their blessings upon Prabhupada but also upon the western disciples of Prabhupada that have come along with him and saying that in the process will be realized (?) the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and surely and steadily advance on the path of peace, happiness, and divine grace.

Prabhupada: So blessings of Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor. He is a Vaisnava. Although by age he is my younger brother, we are Godbrothers, and for the last forty years perhaps, since he was a student at Allahabad and I was doing some business there, we are known to each other. So his association is a great blessing for us. But this reception is actually not my reception. It is the reception of my foreign students. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted that His message should be broadcast all over the world, in every village and every town, and my Guru Maharaja attempted. Bhaktivinoda Thakura distributed his literature. I think, in 1896, he sent his first book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya, and I saw in McGill University that book. And I do not know. That was the year of my birth also, 1896. So somehow or other, later on, I came in contact with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja in 1922, and he immediately asked me that “Why don’t you go to the foreign countries and preach Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s blessings.” So I was little surprised. Especially at that time, I was very young man and I was newly married. I got one son also. So it was my mistake that I did not take up the words of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja immediately. I thought that “I am now married. Let me settle down.” Perhaps if I would have joined from 1922, by the blessings of Guru Maharaja, I could do more preaching work. Anyway, it is better late than never. After my retirement, I was living in the Kesi-ghata, Nathagrama(?) Radha- Krishna Temple. But this Gosaiji, Gauracanda Gosaiji, he asked me, “Why don’t you come here?” So I left that place. I came here. And with some arrangement, I took this room. But I was always thinking that “Guru Maharaja asked me, and he asked also some of my other God-brothers, but up till now, nothing has been done. So let me try, at least, at the fag end of my life.” So I left Vrndavana in 1970 and went to New York. Uh, not. 1965. At the age of 70 years. But for one year I had no place to live. I took some of my books, Srimad- Bhagavatam, printed here, up to three parts, First Canto. And I was personally selling these books to the book sellers and to the persons any way. With great difficulty I was pulling on. And New York is a very expensive city, a great city, a great forest. (laughs) And I am poor man. So then it is a long history. Then I began chanting in the Tompkinson Square, and I think, in the first day this boy, Acyutananda Maharaja now, he and another boy, Brahmananda Maharaja, he is also preaching in Africa, these two boys danced, and this photograph was published in the New York Times with great details. That was the first encouragement. And after chanting in the park, many young men and girls used to come to my apartment and my meeting place. In this way I started, first in New York, then in San Francisco, then Montreal, then Boston. In this way, now we have got about one hundred branches all over the world, forty branches in America. Big, big cities, Australia, I mean to say, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and Boston. What is that? Other cities? San Francisco.

Full Conversation: http://prabhupadabooks.com/conversations/1972/oct/introduction_speech_by_dr_kapoor_and_conversation/vrndavana/october/15/1972